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Tommaths (he/him) 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
@teakayb.mathsy.space
4K followers 810 following 3.1K posts
UK-based Museum Learning Consultant & Maths Communicator

More maths in museums!

📖 Author of The Mathematicians' Library

🌐 TeaKayB.mathsy.space
🕸️ @TeaKayB.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy

#MathsInMuseums #MuseumEd #MathsJam
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teakayb.mathsy.space
Drop me a line if you'd like a signed copy of The Mathematicians' Library for £25 (+ £5 p&p in the UK, unless you can pick it up from Milton Keynes!)

A big, chunky hardback book with glossy pages and full-colour pictures throughout: a perfect gift for the slightly nerdy bookworm in your life!
The rather attractive cover of the hardback book, The Mathematicians' Library, by Thomas K. Briggs, with text overlaid that advertises "author-signed copies available" for £25 + £5 p&p (UK only).
November 2, 2025 at 5:52 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
I quite liked the juxtaposition of this copy of The Mathematicians' Library with another book, in Blackwell's yesterday. I spotted 4 copies altogether - that's the second-most I've seen together in the wild, outside my living room!
A copy of The Mathematicians' Library (by Thomas K. Briggs) lies next to a copy of The Madman's Library (by Edward Brooke-Hitching)
October 30, 2025 at 12:47 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
Spotted this in a second-hand bookshop in Oxford and couldn't really leave it there.

If the intersection of maths and history (and its possibilities for enriching education) seem like it might hold some interest for you, join in the discussion via historyand.mathsy.space

#MathsToday 🏛️🎓
A hardback book with a faded grey cover and the faint teasings of the outline in slightly lighter grey of an animal rearing up to the left of the front cover (it's the edge of a coat of arms which wraps around the spine, but that's not visible in this photograph). The book is titled "Mathematics in the Archeological and Historical Sciences" in bold, black lettering, with "edited for The Royal Society & The Romanian Academy by F.R. Godson, D.G. Kendall FRS and P. Tâutu" in smaller black italics below.
October 30, 2025 at 10:12 AM
teakayb.mathsy.space
I think The Mathematicians' Library would make a great Christmas present for the nerdy bibliophile who's into history in your life, and a *signed* copy would be even better...

... but has everyone who's going to buy a copy from me already done so?

Is it worth ordering another couple of boxes?
The cover of The Mathematicians' Library (The books that unlocked the power of numbers) by Thomas K. Briggs.
October 17, 2025 at 11:20 AM
teakayb.mathsy.space
From another review of The Mathematicians' Library (on Amazon). I think 'Cornish Walker' is on the cusp of discovering that they are, in fact, a maths nerd.
#DontFightIt #LetItTakeYou
From another review of The Mathematicians' Library (Amazon): "I’m in no way a maths nerd but I’m engrossed in this book. It is fascinating and I’ve learnt so much from it so far. I’ve actually found myself going online and reading up on some of the more interesting section like fractals as well as revisiting some familiar names from school such as Fermat and Newton."
October 1, 2025 at 7:33 AM
teakayb.mathsy.space
My mum's dog (say hello to Dylan) likes to curl up for a sleep behind the curtain, but he does it so often the curtain needs cleaning more often than mum would like, so she made two drawstring bags out of the same material and washes them instead. Genius!
A fluffy dog hiding behind a curtain. The base of the curtain is in a bag made from the same flowery material as the curtain.
September 28, 2025 at 4:02 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
Breaking: Leeds @waterstones has a copy of The Mathematicians' Library!

I'm in Leeds for a couple of days: buy it and I'll sign it for you if we can arrange to be in the same place at the same time.
A copy of The Mathematicians' Library nestles amongst others on the Popular Science shelves in Milton Keynes Waterstones!
September 9, 2025 at 8:20 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
The Mathematicians' Library is a popular science book, at least one cover of which is for sale in at least one Waterstones (Milton Keynes, if you're interested).

This is the first time I've seen it on the high street!

#MathsToday
A copy of The Mathematicians' Library nestles amongst others on the Popular Science shelves in Milton Keynes Waterstones!
September 4, 2025 at 3:31 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
Very much looking forward to the @gem.org.uk conference next week!

I'll be in-person, but note my pre-recorded online presentation (Wednesday)!

Find me at the conference for a chat, or get in touch online via TeaKayB.mathsy.space (see thread for reasons you may want to)…
In white text on a light blue background, the text "GEM Conference 2025, Sustaining Our Practice - Sustaining Our World", and the information that it's also online from 10-12 September 2025. Three photographs appear down the right-hand side of the image: the middle one is the frontage of Leeds Museum (where the in-person conference is being held); the other two are of children in museums, looking interested.
September 4, 2025 at 9:08 AM
teakayb.mathsy.space
I bet a lot of people think they have a clear idea of what goes on at a #maths conference.

Anyway, today at #TMiP25 I attended an embroidery workshop.

#MathsToday
Embroidered with white thread on black felt, a sort of 9-pointed, curved-edge star design with smaller almost-squares sprouting at regular intervals from the edges (on the inside of the shape).
August 29, 2025 at 3:26 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
First time I've seen it in the wild! The Mathematicians' Library on sale at a stand run by Kenilworth Books at #TMiP25

I was so surprised I accidentally signed them all!

#MathsToday #books #maths #History #HistoryOfMaths
A copy of my book, The Mathematicians' Library, stands upright on a pillar of seven other copies stacked on top of each other. They are flanked by other maths-themed books.
August 28, 2025 at 9:32 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
The Open University are advertising for someone to marry a lecturer.
A screenshot of a job ad on LinkedIn: the Open University are looking for a "Lecturer in Law (Early Career)
July 29, 2025 at 8:01 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
This just arrived.
Me, a bespectacled, furry-faced man of 42, holding a book titled "The Mathematicians Library, The Books That Unlocked The Power of Numbers". My finger is pointing at the author's name, which is "Thomas K. Briggs". My face holds a look of shock and surprise.
June 3, 2025 at 3:41 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
#ViewFromAHotelWindow
A view of the skyline over Shepherd's Bush, from the slanted roof-window of a 5-story converted town house. The window gap is letterbox-shaped. The top two-thirds of the view shows a clear blue sky. The bottom portion shows mainly rooftops, with a collection of orange chimneys in the middle distance, and a taller black one closer to the camera. In the distance to the left can be seen some greenery, in amongst the buildings.
May 17, 2025 at 3:42 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
It was tough to find a new sticker for my laptop at the @museumsandheritage.com Show, but I managed it!
The grey, rectangular lid of my laptop with five stickers: a small black square with "I heart museums" (the "heart" is actually a pink heart-shape); one with "Talking Maths" in a speech bubble with a light blue background, and "in public" added outside the bubble; a small black rectangle in which a chalk drawn mastodon manipulates an abacus with its trunk above the text "mathstodon.xyz"; the text Maths Jam in black on a yellow background; and the new one: a black heart shape with the word "we" above it and "museums" below.
May 16, 2025 at 4:18 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
I asked Google what "jumping the custard" means... 🤣
According to Google's 'AI overview', "Jumping the custard" is a phrase used in Cockney rhyming slang, a form of British slang where a pair of words is used to replace a similar-sounding word. In this case, "jumping the custard" is slang for "jumping the "telly" (television)". The "telly" is the word that rhymes with "custard". For example, if someone says, "He's jumping the custard," they mean he's changing the channel on the television.
April 23, 2025 at 7:56 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
Interesting
A screenshot from ChatGPT. I asked "Make up a random phase that could be an idiom" and it responded "Sure! Here's a made-up idiom: "Chasing thunder with a sieve." Possible meaning: Trying to capture something powerful or uncontrollable with the wrong tools — basically, making a futile or misguided effort. Want me to come up with more or use it in a sentence?" I then googled "chasing thunder with a sieve" and the AI overview provided "The phrase "chasing thunder with a sieve" is a metaphor that describes an impossible or futile task. It suggests attempting to control or contain something powerful and uncontrollable, like a storm, with a tool that's not designed for the job, like a sieve. The metaphor implies that the effort is likely to be unsuccessful and perhaps even comical. Here's a more detailed breakdown: "Chasing thunder": This represents a task that is inherently difficult or impossible. Thunder is a powerful natural phenomenon that is not easily tamed or controlled. "With a sieve": A sieve is a tool designed for separating solids from liquids or larger particles. It's not suited for capturing or controlling something like thunder. The contrast: The contrast between the powerful "thunder" and the fragile "sieve" highlights the futility of the attempt. The sieve is a symbol of something small, inadequate, and ultimately unable to deal with the force of the thunder. The meaning: The phrase "chasing thunder with a sieve" conveys a sense of absurdity, or a task that is doomed to fail. It's a way of expressing the impracticality of trying to do something that's beyond one's capabilities."
April 23, 2025 at 7:32 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
I've done my nerdy duty this morning, and had experienced an example of the clockwork of the universe, first-hand.
Two images of the sun protected through a pair of binoculars on to the back of a white envelope. The images are inside the shadow of the binoculars, and each shows a small, dark segment removed from it, like a smooth-edged bite taken out of the sun's disc.
March 29, 2025 at 11:43 AM
teakayb.mathsy.space
I've done my nerdy duty this morning, and had experienced an example of the clockwork of the universe, first-hand.
Two images of the sun protected through a pair of binoculars on to the back of a white envelope. The images are inside the shadow of the binoculars, and each shows a small, dark segment removed from it, like a smooth-edged bite taken out of the sun's disc.
March 29, 2025 at 11:43 AM
teakayb.mathsy.space
Finally, we are visited by some folks in the Crimson Firehawk, which surely everybody knows*.

It might not be the most recognisable thing in all of Star Wars, but it is pretty Christmassy, and there's plenty of mulled wine flowing from the foundry.

#LegoStarWarsAdventCalendar Day 24
Built on a circular white base this Lego microscale build has two red wings with two engines each pointing backwards. The wings are attached, each with a single sloping white piece, to a red body that curves down to a translucent blue angled cockpit on top of a small flat red base. The ship hovers above a black, textured surface.
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
Another Luke Skywalker arrives, but this one is much further away and in a land speeder with a similarly distant Threepio.

#LegoStarWarsAdventCalendar Day 23
Luke Skywalker's sand speeder in microscale Lego form. A sand-coloured base with a rounded front end supports a second layer that is grey at the front, red in the middle and sand-coloured at the back, and then a sand-coloured flat-topped bonnet in front of two clear angled pieces acting as a windscreen. At the rear are three engines, and sitting in the seats are two characters, each made from two single round studs stacked on top of each other. The one in the left-hand seat, which can be seen from this angle, is two gold studs. The other is a white stud with a gold stud on top.
December 23, 2024 at 9:03 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
The Mandalororian didn't turn up until the Mulled Wine Foundry was discovered. It is the way*.

#LegoStarWarsAdventCalendar Day 22

* Did I do it right? I have no idea because I still haven't seen it.
A Lego microscale model of a spaceship. It is mostly grey with a narrow body built on a 1x4 base. It has a clear angled piece for a cockpit, with a flat clear single-stud with one rounded end extending it. A flat long grey piece extends the top of the ship over the base piece. A movable gun attaches to each side of the front piece, underneath the cockpit. Behind this is a yellow square side panel detail, and behind that two short 'wings' protrude to the sides from the top, on the end of each of which is an engine which reaches backwards. The ship rests on a dark grey smooth metallic surface, and in the background is a blurry mottled green surface with white bits that could well be a grassy landscape with patches of snow.
December 23, 2024 at 3:50 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
At last! They found it! Vader's mulled wine foundry!

#LegoStarWarsAdventCalendar Day 21
A microscale Lego construction of Darth Vader's castle: The overall shape is a black isosceles triangle, standing on its non-paired side. The top of the triangle has been sliced off, and a rectangular gap reaches down about half way. This means that two imposing black spires reach up from a pointy black bit that rests above a glowing red sloped piece flanked by two identically shaped pieces but in the same opaque glossy black of the rest of the structure.
December 21, 2024 at 8:13 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
A Praetorian Guard arrives and challenges Luke to a lightsaber dance-off.

#LegoStarWarsAdventCalendar Day 20
The Luke Skywalker minifigure from a few days ago is joined by a Praetorian Guard, dressed helmet to toes in scarlet red, except for black gloves. They are wielding a weapon made from a black staff tipped at each end with translucent pink cones. The two figures are positioned opposite each other on a floor with dark circles inlaid in a random tiling pattern made from various shades of brown. The positions of their arms and feet evoke movement. In the background are indistinct shapes of various colours and blurred light sources.
December 20, 2024 at 8:46 PM
teakayb.mathsy.space
Arrived, has Master Yoda. A little parched, he is. Show him to the mulled wine queue, you must, young padawan.

#LegoStarWarsAdventCalendar Day 19
A small spaceship constructed using a small number of small Lego pieces. The main part is a clear, plastic dome forming the cockpit at the front of the ship. This is attached to the body behind it (not much larger than a 1x1 block) which has a single blue stud on top, and a translucent blue stud attached to the rear as an engine. The ships 'wings' are attached to the body by hinged brackets, rotated about 45 degrees downwards compared to the body. The wings have dark green 'shoulders' and grey tips, and protrude a little further than the cockpit.
December 19, 2024 at 8:52 PM